RADIO-EXCESS INFRARED GALAXIES - A NEW POPULATION OF ACTIVE GALAXIES

We present a sample of active galaxy candidates, found by comparing th e IRAS catalogue with the Parkes-MIT-NRAO southern 6.3-cm radio survey . We select galaxies that depart from the radio versus far-infrared (F IR) relation displayed by normal galaxies, to produce a sample of 12 c andidate radio-excess, gas-rich, active galaxies. Such objects have be en discussed recently with the aim of understanding how they relate to more familiar types of active galactic nuclei (AGN). Do they represen t a different evolutionary stage of radio-quiet AGN, or are they a fam iliar type of AGN but in an unusual environment, perhaps dust-enshroud ed quasars or their progenitors? The pilot sample presented here is in tended to find a usefully large number of radio-excess AGN suitable fo r further study, and to test the efficiency of the selection criteria. We give radio and FIR data for the sample, along with optical identif ications, spectroscopic classifications, and redshifts from the litera ture. These data reveal some unusual and interesting objects, despite the relatively small area covered by this initial survey.